Being "written up"

I am a new nurse and this concept kind of worries me ...

What can you be written up for? What are the consequences? Who usually writes you up?

Thanks. I get knots in my stomach thinking about this.
Nurses can be written up for:1. Not following through with a physician's order2. Making a medication error3. Taking too long of a break4. Breaking the dress code5. Using the internet during work hours6. Sleeping on the job7. Missing a dressing change8. Giving antihypertensive meds without obtaining a BP9. Excessive tardiness/absenteeism10. No call/no show for a shift11. Leaving in the middle of a shift without permission12. Doing anything out of your scope of practice13. Not notifying the physician of a change in condition14. Stealing supplies/drugs15. InsubordinationOF COURSE, there are many more actions that could be treated with a write-up.

also for making inappropriate comments. (I was written up for telling a doctor he could "kiss my ass.")

A nurse manager or DON will usually write you up. In some cases, other fellow nurses are permitted to write you up for issues such as med errors or missed treatments. At my workplace, certain violations are grounds for immediate termination of employment. Other violations are treated with written warnings that remain in your file. If you accumulate too many write-ups in a specified period, management may decide to suspend you, place you on probation, or terminate your employment.In addition, any vindictive nurse manager can miraculously "find" something you supposedly did wrong, and write you up for it.

I know that there are two incidences where I might have been written up ... it still stresses me out to think about it. Gaahh ... the incidences have happened a while ago - the latest one was probably 3 weeks ago. Can you be written up and not called to the manager's office but have the reports in your file? Will they bring up these incidences at your annual review?

Quote from SassybottomI know that there are two incidences where I might have been written up ... it still stresses me out to think about it. Gaahh ... the incidences have happened a while ago - the latest one was probably 3 weeks ago. Can you be written up and not called to the manager's office but have the reports in your file? Will they bring up these incidences at your annual review?

Quote from SassybottomI know that there are two incidences where I might have been written up ... it still stresses me out to think about it. Gaahh ... the incidences have happened a while ago - the latest one was probably 3 weeks ago. Can you be written up and not called to the manager's office but have the reports in your file? Will they bring up these incidences at your annual review?

For further reference, browse through my old thread about being written up. I was feeling offended and "down in the dumps" at the time I had started the thread.http://allnurses.com/forums/f8/write...on-192209.html

Quote from SassybottomI am a new nurse and this concept kind of worries me ...What can you be written up for? What are the consequences? Who usually writes you up?Thanks. I get knots in my stomach thinking about this.

Earle 58your advice was the best bestest bester -- fantastic!!

You can be written up for several things including medication errors, not following hospital policy, failure to carry out orders, not signing off your orders, not doing your shift end chart checks, not meeting the basic needs of your patients, and attitude. Any person you work with can write you up, your manager will be the one to discuss the issue with you and decide if further action should be taken. Just remember to always follow hospital policy and if you're not sure about something, ask. There are no dumb questions and it's better to be safe than sorry.

Where I work only the nurse managers and charge nurses are qualified to write people up. As a charge nurse I can usually counsel a person and get them to shape up before writing them up. I've recently given a verbal warning for insuborination to one of my problem tech's. Next time she will get written up.Fortunately at my place of employment write ups are rare, as things can be nipped in the bud verbally before it gets to the point of being written up.People often mistake "incident reports" as being "written up" and they are not the same thing. When you make a medication error this incident report is sent to risk management, pharmacy and your manager, but is not part of your personnel file in Human Resources. Of course as people say above you can be written up for making medication errors, usually this doesn't happen with an isolated inicdent, but repeated errors. Nurses might be quick to write an incident report on a coworker about something and then go bragging "I wrote them up for........" which is all false bragging because they merely did an incident report and don't have the power to write anyone up.Don't be scared because 99.999999999% of us go through our careers without being "written up". Good luck to you.

Hi Tweety, I guess hospitals are different. My facility takes medication errors very seriously, in fact so does the state board of nursing. All medication errors are reported via incident report and a counseling is given to the staff nurse in the form of a medication error. That counseling does go into the employees file. The state of Texas requires that if a nurse commits 5 medication errors in a years time, she should go before the peer review committee and that committee decides if she should be reported to the board. Writing up and counseling are two different events. Our facility uses a form called "report of staff concern", staff use this form to write up any incident that warrants the manager getting involved. Yes it is true that the Manager, supervisor, or charge nurse can councel an employee for patient care related issues. In general, being written up is an infrequent occurance.